I didn’t do it with a Leica but I did dig out the Pentax K1000 I bought used when I went to college twenty years ago and haven’t used for years. I bought a 50mm f/1.7 lens on eBay and have been using nothing but this (aside from some casual phone/point-and-shoot shots occasionally), with Tri-X, for over a year now.
I’ve really enjoyed it and it’s been a real refresher — I was only using a digital point-and-shoot before, not wanting the bulk and expense of a digital SLR. But I didn’t like the pictures it took and wasn’t sure what to do next. So black and white film on my old SLR was just the change I was after.
I intended to shoot as much as you suggested, but reality took care of that — I just don’t have the time and would have to give other things up to really concentrate on photography that much. I’ve shot 23 films over the past year, although I sometimes went for weeks or even months without shooting. When I realised I was carrying the camera around a lot but never using it, I stopped taking it everywhere. I didn’t like being “on” all the time, and I valued being able to just be, to walk around without looking for potential shots. I guess I’m not a natural, compulsive photographer!
But it’s been good otherwise. I’ve thought more about composition. I really love taking my time and valuing each shot, rather than firing off several in one go. It’s made me think about what I want from a camera and photography in general. So, many thanks for your idea.
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